In 2021, Amidst the Pandemic,
I Decided to Create My
30-Year-Old Magnum Opus
The pandemic hit hard and fast, altering the course of many lives, including mine. Turning 30 this year, I found myself facing unprecedented changes in the world around me. It prompted me to consider fulfilling a long-held dream: starting my own fashion education business. By chance, I came across Hahow's call for new instructors. The platform's introduction made me believe that my vision could finally be realized.
So, in April 2021, I took the plunge and began planning and creating my course. However, as I had anticipated, there were significant challenges. As a newcomer without a social media following, I worried about my chosen topic being too niche and overlooked in Taiwan. Who would buy my course?
Unlocking the Secrets of Fashion:
It All Comes Down to Your Choices and the Possibilities You Create Logical Wardrobe System?
Fashion, at its core, revolves around the choices you make and how you combine these choices into countless possibilities.
The key question is: Do these combinations follow a logical system?
Many people approach fashion with a sense of trepidation, feeling that the barriers to entry are too high and the subject too complex. And to some extent, they’re right. Consider the origins of fashion—it began in aristocratic and elite circles, where people had access to exceptional resources and education. The outcomes from these privileged beginnings naturally carried a significant amount of know-how. Moreover, in the quest to ensure that everyone looks stylish and well-proportioned, the emphasis on sculpting one's silhouette became paramount. However, early fashion aesthetics were limited and rigid, offering only a few acceptable looks.
Fast forward to today, and fashion has evolved into a realm where everyone, regardless of their background, can express themselves. We now celebrate a multitude of styles, aesthetics, and body types. This era of diverse acceptance spans all socio-economic statuses, aesthetics, skin colors, and body shapes. The complexity arises from breaking down traditional class barriers, where mixing high-end with high-end, high-end with low-end, and low-end with low-end has become commonplace.
From this perspective, the reason many find it challenging to discover their style or understand contemporary fashion can be boiled down to three critical factors:
1. Anticipating Choices and Combinations: The ability to foresee and create logical combinations with your clothing choices.
2.Understanding the Fashion Industry and Market: A basic comprehension of how the fashion industry operates and the dynamics of the commercial market.
3.Possessing Basic Clothing Knowledge:
An essential understanding of garments and their characteristics.
Most people, however, tend to stick to safe and familiar combinations. Their attempts to venture out are often limited to their imagination, and they lack fundamental knowledge about clothing and market trends. This results in a scattergun approach to shopping, where they end up with pieces that don't fit together into a coherent, personal style.
Understanding and mastering these aspects can transform your approach to fashion, allowing you to create a wardrobe that not only suits you but also follows a personal, logical system of style.
Finally,
A Solution: Launching an Exclusive Professional Fashion Course
After much contemplation and struggle,
I have finally developed the best approach to solving the challenges of building a cohesive personal style.
Despite the odds and my own self-doubt, I am launching an exclusive, professional fashion course to guide you through the intricacies of this industry.
Why am I sharing all this? The main point is to highlight that our repeated behavior of buying clothes without a complete understanding or system has left us without a coherent personal style.
We regret discarding many items and wasting significant time and money.
This stems from a lack of understanding of how fashion brands plan their products and operate commercially, coupled with the absence of a structured system to guide our choices.
Before you swipe your card to purchase new clothes, do you have the ability to anticipate whether these items will integrate well with your existing wardrobe, expanding the potential for combinations and enhancing your overall personal style?
Many believe that style is solely about aesthetics and appearance.
While this is partially true, it overlooks a crucial component: the tool and mindset of a "logical system structure."
Every garment that appears on store shelves is the result of extensive commercial and trend planning.
They are not just born out of thin air or pure emotion. Brands are under immense pressure to meet sales targets and operational demands. They aim to sell products as quickly as possible, without revealing the meticulous planning and considerations that go into each item.
In Taiwan, where the fashion industry and aesthetics are often undervalued, and after experiencing various facets of the industry—from student life to affordable fashion and luxury brands—
I have seen and analyzed countless garments and market trends.
Despite my lack of fame and the challenging environment, I am resolved to go against the tide. I have decided to create a formal, professional online course that unveils the hidden dynamics of this industry.
This course will delve into the behind-the-scenes workings of fashion, offering you the insights and knowledge to build a truly personal and logical style system. Join me in exploring the reasons behind fashion trends and the commercial strategies that drive them.
Unexpected Success and Achievements: Our Unique Course Positioning and Exclusive Know-How
Our crowdfunding success exceeded expectations, and the subsequent unexpected achievements all stem from the unique positioning of our course and the exclusive expertise we offer. We don't just follow market trends; we create new demand within the market.
The distinctive nature of our course caught Hahow's attention when I submitted my proposal. Before launching the crowdfunding campaign, we didn't conduct any market research. My belief is that focusing on developing a unique course with a well-defined market position, and providing exclusive professional knowledge, is key. By continuously offering extended learning and knowledge updates, we can ensure the sustainable operation of our online course and keep pace with the fashion industry's dynamics. This approach creates a unique and irreplaceable market position for our course.
I prefer not to label myself rigidly as a "teacher." Instead, I see myself as a coach who imparts exclusive professional knowledge. I aim to train each participant in the course to think in new ways and to understand the true essence of "fashion."
Within two weeks of launching the crowdfunding campaign, we reached the minimum enrollment threshold of 30 students, surpassing that number on the first day. By the end of the month-long campaign, we had more than doubled our target, reaching 66 participants. In the six months following the official course launch, over 100 students had enrolled. Today, we have over a hundred students and maintain a 4.5-star rating.
For a well-known instructor, 100 students might not be noteworthy. However, for someone without any social media presence or fame, achieving this milestone so quickly is something I still find astonishing. Why would 100 strangers choose to purchase an online course from an unknown instructor, especially at a premium price of 2,700 NTD?
The key lies in offering a structured professional knowledge framework that is hard to replicate. I have dedicated myself fully to this endeavor, and I never hesitate to share what I know. If you believe in me, you'll receive far more than you expect.
This is what I want to convey: I've had this idea for a long time, but lacked the courage and method to bring it to life. The severe challenges of the pandemic finally pushed me to take the leap, to abandon the doubts and forge ahead with determination.
I have proven that this course has value and necessity in the market. If you're willing to believe in me, then don't hesitate—purchase and join the course now!
Believe in the possibility of change. See you in course!
Zion Hu
Image source: Unsplash